Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Save Alaska's Heritage

A Disappearing Treasure



Archaeological Sites on Public Lands are Protected by Law
What is Archaeology?
What are Archaeological Resources?
Examples of Protected Resources
Archaeological Ivory and Bone
Thieves of Time
Facts You Should Know
Land Ownership in Alaska
Commonly Asked Questions
Where You Can Learn More
Suggested Reading
Preservation Organizations
What You Can Do
Sponsoring Organizations

Archaeological Sites on Public Lands are Protected by Law

 Ivory figurine (32K) There are thousands of archaeological sites on federal public lands in Alaska. These sites represent every period in Alaska's history and prehistory from the first Alaskans 11,500 years ago who hunted large ice age animals that are now extinct, to early whaling peoples, to nomadic caribou hunters, to Russian Americans and gold miners.

Archaeological sites are time capsules from the past. They contain the keys to understanding old and sometimes forgotten cultures. Working together, archaeologists, the descendants of the people that left these remains behind, and the public can learn a tremendous amount from the scientific excavation and analysis of these sites.

That is why archaeological sites, when they are found on federal public lands, are protected by law. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act makes it illegal to excavate, damage, remove, sell, or transport any archaeological resource located on federal public lands. This law also applies to material taken from non-federal lands in violation of state or local law and put into interstate or foreign commerce. Illegal activity resulting in over $500 worth of damage to an archaeological site is a felony, a major crime. Convicted felons lose the right to vote and possess firearms.

There is a growing market for the sale of artifacts and fossil ivory and bone from Alaskan archaeological sites. Removing material from archaeological sites on private land with the permission of the landowner is legal. However, when the material is taken from federal public lands, then the activity becomes illegal.

Archaeological sites on federal public lands and the heritage values they contain are part of our national heritage. It is our collective responsibility to protect this heritage, whether it be Native American sites, Russian-American sites, or historic mining sites.

What is Archaeology?

 Archaeology is the study of past human cultures. Excavation is one of the archaeologist's fundamental means of learning about the past. This is actually more complicated than it sounds. Archaeological field methods are complex, and a considerable amount of training and supervision is necessary before excavation can be carried out effectively. It is important that the untrained person not attempt to perform his or her own excavation.

Even archaeologists cannot excavate at will on federal lands. They must obtain a permit and conduct work in accordance with the law. Special rules and standards must be met to obtain such a permit.

The process of excavation physically destroys a site. Detailed records, therefore, are kept of any archaeological research project. The records are extremely important and must provide a thorough history of the investigations.

Scientific excavation involves more than the recovery of buried artifacts. Of more importance than the artifacts themselves is their association or context. These terms refer to the artifacts' location or placement in relation to other nearby signs of human activities such as living structures, burials, storage pits, hearths, or work areas. These are the relationships which yield the real treasure, the story of past lifeways.

Once excavation is completed, all of the artifacts are cleaned, labeled, inventoried, cataloged, and conserved or treated in order to preserve them. This process takes a much larger investment of time and effort than excavation. Analysis and interpretation of the data collected require skill and training.

A report is then published so that other archaeologists and the public can read and study it. Proper excavation, analysis, and reporting provide new information on the lifeway of an earlier culture. The information is preserved for the public, the scientific community, and the descendants of the people who left the clues to their story behind.

What are Archaeological Resources?

 Archaeological resources protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act include the material remains of human existence that are at least 100 years old. This includes physical evidence of human occupation, use, or activity, including the location or context in which such evidence is found. Archaeological resources less than 100 years old are protected by other laws including theft and destruction of government property statutes.

Examples of Protected Resources

 The remains of surface or subsurface houses and other structures, including ceremonial structures, fortifications, rock cairns (man-made rock piles), fire hearths, kilns, and trash deposits.

Whole or fragmentary tools; containers; weapons and projectiles; clothing; ornaments; pottery and other ceramics; glass trade beads; cordage; basketry and other weaving; bottles and other glassware; bone; ivory; shell; metal; wood; hide; feathers; pigments; and flaked, ground, or pecked stone.

Rock art carvings (petroglyphs) and paintings (pictographs), all portions of shipwrecks, and graves including human remains and associated grave goods.

Archaeological Ivory and Bone

 The hunt for artifacts damages archaeological sites on federal public lands. In some cases, the sites are also being mined to obtain old walrus ivory and whale and walrus bone. This ivory and bone sometimes serves as raw material for making jewelry, scrimshaw, and carvings.

Mammoth Ivory
Walrus Ivory
Cross-sections of a mammoth tusk and walrus tusk reveal differences in internal structure. Mammoth tusks have cross-hatchings called Shreger lines. Walrus tusks have an internal core that is marbled, or looks like oatmeal, and is surrounded by rings.
Although they are not actually fossilized, buried walrus ivory and whale and walrus bone that have taken on a brownish or other color are commonly referred to as "fossil." Archaeological sites are a major source of this material in Alaska.

Fossil ivory may be in the form of artifacts, unworked chunks, or tusks that were carried into archaeological sites by the people who occupied the site. Old walrus ivory and bone not found in archaeological sites is found on beaches and in underwater areas in non-archaeological contexts.

Removing material from archaeological sites on private land with the permission of the land owner is legal. However, the collection of old walrus ivory and old sea mammal bone from archaeological sites on federal public lands is illegal. This activity is prohibited by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and several other laws.

Paleontological Resources

Mammoth and Mastodon Ivory

Sources of fossil ivory in Alaska that do not come from archaeological sites include the tusks from prehistoric members of the elephant family, mammoths and mastodons. It is illegal to remove mammoth and mastodon ivory or other prehistoric animal remains from federal public lands. These resources are protected by theft and destruction of government property statutes. Private lands, including patented mining claims, are a legal source of this material.

Thieves of Time

 Looted archaelogical site (40K) Good intentions are no substitute for scientific procedures in the excavation of an archaeological site. Once an artifact is removed from its context or relationship with surrounding artifacts and structures, most information about it is lost.

There is a common misconception that archaeological material, if left in the ground, will decompose. Some people think they are saving it by digging it up. It is true some decomposition takes place. However, the bulk of the material has been in the ground for hundreds or thousands of years. Most of it has reached a state of balance with the surrounding sod, and is safe from further destruction. Improper excavation of artifacts destroys the context and the story of what happened at that archaeological site, and can even speed-up the deterioration process of some items collected or disturbed and left behind.

Commercial harvesting of artifacts is particularly destructive of archaeological values. In order to obtain one artifact with commercial value, such as a figurine or a harpoon head, many artifacts with no commercial worth are disturbed. Even though they may have no commercial value, their scientific and heritage significance has been destroyed.

Less than three percent of the land in Alaska has been examined to any degree by archaeologists. However, archaeologists and law enforcement personnel have documented damage caused by unscientific digging at over two hundred and fifty sites on federal public lands. In some cases, important sites on federal public lands have been damaged before archaeologists ever get a chance to see them.

Facts You Should Know

Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA)

 The Archaeological Resources Protection Act makes it illegal to excavate, damage, remove, sell, or transport any archaeological resource over 100 years old located on federal public lands. Violations of ARPA may be punishable with fines of up to $250,000 and five years in jail, and seizure of all archaeological resources in the possession of a person who is discovered violating the law. Tools, equipment, or vehicles used in the commission of the offense may also be seized. Rewards of up to $500 may be awarded for information leading to a civil or criminal ARPA conviction.

Alaska Historic Preservation Act

This act makes it illegal to appropriate, excavate, remove, injure, or destroy any historic, prehistoric or archaeological resources on state lands and provides both criminal and civil penalties. This act also covers mammoth and mastodon ivory and prehistoric animal bone. Each violation is punishable by up to $100,000 in fines under civil provisions. This act applies to all land owned or controlled by the state, including tidal and submerged lands.

Local Laws

Some municipalities and Native corporations also have ordinances that protect archaeological sites on their lands.

Land Ownership in Alaska

Commonly Asked Questions
Q. Which lands does the Archaeological Resources Protection Act apply to?
A. All federal public lands. The act also applies to nonfederal lands when an archaeological resource is taken in violation of state or local law and is then transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

Q. Who can remove archaeological ivory and bone from federal public lands?
A. Researchers with the proper permits. (This is also true for mammoth and mastodon ivory and prehistoric animal bone.)

Q. What happens to archaeological material excavated on federal public lands by researchers?
A. It remains government property and is permanently curated in a museum along with all records and information about the research. The preserved information and collections are used for exhibits, educational programs, and further research.

Q. How can you tell new from old ivory?
A. New ivory is relatively white, whereas old or "fossil" ivory has usually taken on a brownish tint or some other darker color. However, some people stain new ivory to make it look old.

Q. Is it okay to collect artifacts from the ground surface on federal public lands?
A. It is okay to appreciate their beauty, ponder their function, and photograph them. But please do not disturb or remove them. Surface artifacts are part of archaeological sites and are protected by law.

Q. What about beachcombing for archaeological artifacts, and archaeological ivory and bone on federal public lands?
A. Again, it is illegal to collect this material, even if it has eroded out of an archaeological site onto a beach or river bank. (This rule also applies to mammoth and mastodon ivory, and prehistoric animal bone.)

Q. What about the collection of new walrus ivory found on the beach?
A. New walrus ivory may be legally collected from beaches. But it must be registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service within thirty days. It may not be transferred or sold without authorization from one of these agencies.

Q. Are there legal sources of archaeological material, including fossil ivory and bone?
A. Yes. Archaeological material removed from private land with the permission of the landowner may be legally sold and purchased. If you are concerned, ask if the material came from a legal source.

Q. Should a collector who acquired archaeological artifacts, or archaeological ivory or bone years ago be concerned?
A. Land-managing agencies in Alaska want to save the archaeological sites that are left on public lands. Investigation of allegedly illegal activities of the distant past is not a priority. However, sale or resale of such material may be a new violation. A responsible means of disposing of this material may be arranged by returning it to the agency that oversees the land it came from.

Where You Can Learn More

 For more information contact:

Regional Archaeologist
National Park Service
Cultural Resources Division
2525 Gambell Street, Room 107
Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2892

State Archaeologist
Office of History and Archaeology
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 107001
Anchorage, Alaska 99510-7001

Regional Archaeologist
U.S.D.A - Forest Service
Recreation, Cultural, and Wilderness Resources
P.O. Box 21628
Juneau, Alaska 99802-1628

Regional Archaeologist
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99503

State Archaeologist
Bureau of Land Management
222 W. 7th Avenue #13
Anchorage, Alaska 99513

Suggested Reading
Ancient Men of the Arctic. J. Louis Giddings, University of Washington Press, Seattle. 1985 (originally published 1967).
A delightful personal narrative of an archaeologist's expeditions to Alaska from 1939 to 1954 and his view of Alaska Eskimo prehistory.

Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent. Brian M. Fagan, Thames and Hudson, New York. 1991.
A well-iuustrated, enjoyable, introduction to North American archaeology.

Archaeological Resource Protection. Sherry Hutt, Elwood W. Jones, and Martin E. McAllister, The Preservation Press, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C. 1992.
An essential reference for archaeologists and law enforcement officials on the protection of our nation's archaeological heritage.

Archaeology, a popular magazine, is published monthly by the
Archaeological Institute of America, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.

Preservation Organizations

 There are numerous local and national organizations devoted to the preservation of archaeological and historical sites. A few of these organizations are listed below:

Alaska Anthropological Association
P.O. Box 230032
Anchorage, Alaska 99523-0032

Alaska Historical Society
P.O. Box 100299
Anchorage, Alaska 99510-0299

Keepers of the Treasures-Alaska
P.O. Box 241508
Anchorage, Alaska 99524-1508

Museums Alaska
11543 Banff Street
Eagle River, Alaska 99577

National Trust for Historic Preservation
Western Regional Office
One Sutter Street, Suite 707
San Francisco, California 94104

Society for American Archaeology
Department 0123
Wasffington, D.C. 20073-0123

Society for Historical Archaeology
P.O. Box 30446
Tucson, Arizona 87571

What You Can Do

 You can become a good steward of Alaska's finite and irreplaceable archaeological legacy. Because the past is our common destiny, please help us prevent the destruction of the human record in Alaska.

Become an advocate for the protection of our nation's archaeological heritage. Tell your children and friends about the scientific and heritage values of archaeological sites. Give your support to local and national efforts to preserve the remnants of our past.

Leave any archaeological sites or fossil ivory that you find on public lands in place and report the location to the nearest state or federal agency office.

Be aware of suspicious activity near known sites on public lands. Report digging for artifacts to the Archaeological Resources Crime Hotline, 800-478-2724.

Report illegal trade in artifacts or archaeological ivory and bone to the hotline number.


ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES CRIME HOTLINE:
800-478-2724


Opportunities to Participate

 Alaska Archaeology Week - Alaska Archaeology Week is celebrated every spring throughout the state. Lectures, open houses where you can meet archaeologists, hands-on programs for children, laboratory classes for adults, and site tours offer the chance to learn about Alaska archaeology. For more information contact:
National Park Service
Alaska Archaeology Week
2525 Gambell Street, Room 107
Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2892
(907) 257-2657

Alutiiq Culture Center - The Alutiiq Culture Center conducts archaeological surveys and excavations in the Kodiak area every summer. If you are interested in Volunteering to do field work or to work in the laboratory, contact the Director, Rick Knecht, as early as possible before the field season begins at:
Alutiiq Culture Center
c/o Kodiak Area Native Association
402 Center Street
Kodiak, Alaska 99615
(907) 486-1992

U.S.D.A.-Forest Service Passport in Time - This volunteer program invites the public to participate in heritage projects on national forests all across the country, including archaeological excavation, site mapping, collecting oral histories, restoring historic buildings, and library archival research. For more information contact the Regional Archaeologist in Juneau or:
Passport in Time Clearinghouse
CEHP
P.O. Box 18634
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 293-0922

The Archaeological Institute of America -The AIA produces the Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin every year, which lists information (dates, application deadlines, contacts) for hundreds of excavations and field school programs around the world. There is a fee for the bulletin. For more information contact:
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
Order Department
4050 Westmark Drive
Dubuque, Iowa 52002
(319) 589-1000

Sponsoring Organizations

 This brochure was developed by the National Park Service Alaska Region, Archaeological Assistance Program.

Sponsoring Organizations

Alaska Anthropological Association
Alutiiq Heritage Foundation
Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Keepers of the Treasures
Cultural Council of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Haiwaiians
National Park Service
National Trust-for Historic Preservation
Smithsonian Institution, Arctic Studies Center
Society for American Archaeology
Society for Historical Archaeology
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URL: http://www.nps.gov/bela/html/heritage.htm
Last Updated: 22 December, 1995